Strategic Communications Director

M&C Saatchi World Services is a full-service marketing company renowned for using commercial advertising to solve the world's toughest challenges. World Services is a specialty branch of M&C Saatchi Group, and we provide strategic communications, behavior change, and marketing support to Public Sector clients with special emphasis on the US Federal Government and State, Local, Tribal, & Territorial leaders.

M&C Saatchi seeks a Strategic Communications Director to serve as the lead subject matter expert for enterprise-wide communications strategy within a large federal and DoD-aligned mission environment. This role ensures unified messaging across directorates, drives strategic communications planning, advises leadership on narrative direction, and ensures alignment with mission priorities and stakeholder needs.


ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Senior Communications Strategist plays a central leadership role in shaping the enterprise communications posture, harmonizing cross-functional messaging, and guiding the long-term communications roadmap to support mission outcomes.


This is a hybrid role; however, the ideal candidate will live in either the greater New York City area or the greater District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region.

What you'll do:

• Oversee enterprise-wide strategic communications planning and execution.
• Serve as the lead SME on integrated communications strategy and narrative cohesion.
• Provide strategic counsel to leadership on communications posture, message risks, and alignment opportunities.
• Lead cross-directorate messaging coordination to ensure synchronized communications across all mission areas.
• Develop enterprise messaging frameworks, strategic guidance, and communication playbooks.
• Ensure consistency and accuracy of messaging across all digital, print, and stakeholder-facing channels.
• Support policy-related communications, leadership briefings, and enterprise announcements.
• Coordinate with UX, content, visualization, and technical teams to produce mission-aligned communication products.
• Oversee communication analysis, sentiment insights, and performance reporting.
• Partner with outreach, engagement, and program teams to ensure integrated stakeholder communications.
• Maintain compliance with accessibility standards, federal communications guidance, and branding policies.

You'll bring:

• Candidate must possess a Tier 2 Moderate Risk Public Trust (from any federal agency) or an active Secret clearance or higher.
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Affairs, Strategic Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
• Proven experience in communications, public affairs, strategic messaging, or enterprise communications leadership.
• Experience supporting federal or DoD strategic communications efforts.
• Demonstrated success leading integrated communications initiatives across multiple organizations.
• Experience advising senior leaders on communication risks, priorities, and strategic direction.
• Experience guiding message development and alignment across digital and traditional channels.
• Strong understanding of enterprise communications strategy, narrative development, and stakeholder engagement.
• Familiarity with federal communication requirements, branding guidance, and accessibility standards.
• Experience supporting multichannel communication workflows and governance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills suitable for senior leadership.
• Strong executive communication and narrative-shaping abilities.
• Ability to lead cross-functional messaging alignment efforts.
• High emotional intelligence and diplomacy in stakeholder environments.
• Analytical skills for evaluating communication effectiveness and strategic impact.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, consistency, and clarity.

Bonus points if you have:

• Experience with sentiment analysis, communication metrics, or engagement analytics.
• Experience contributing to cross-functional digital strategy (web, UX, content, social).
• Strategic communications, public affairs, or related certifications.
• Project management certifications (PMP, Agile).

WHAT YOU GET

We offer a competitive salary ($140,000-$165,000) and a benefits package designed to support your health, family life, financial wellbeing, and growth.

Family & parental support

• 12 weeks' full pay for Primary Carers and 6 weeks for Secondary Carers (after one year of service; return requirements apply for subsequent leave)
• Applies to birth, adoption, and surrogacy
• Up to 10 days' paid fertility leave per year (5 per cycle)
• 2 days' paid leave for new grandparents
• $2,500 annual interest-free parental loan
• $6,000 interest-free fertility treatment loan

Healthcare & wellbeing

• Three medical plans (HSA at $0 cost; EPO 75% employer funded; PPO 65% employer funded)
• $0 employee-cost dental and vision
• 10 days' health leave per year (mental and physical)
• 24/7 mental health support through Self Space
• Wellhub subscription

Financial & practical support

• 401(k) match (3% after 3 months; 4% after 1 year)
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• 10 days' paid military leave
• Full pay for jury duty (state/city payments declined)
• Uber/taxi home after 9:30pm

Time off & flexibility

• 23 days' PTO (with 3 discretionary carryover days; CA/CO policies follow state mandate)
• 10 federal holidays, plus the day after Thanksgiving
• Option to swap 2 federal holidays (excluding Thanksgiving and the day after)
• Office closed between Christmas and New Year
• 10 days' special emergency leave (including bereavement)
• 10 days' volunteering leave (5 paid, 5 unpaid)
• Half-day for blood donation
• Work from anywhere for up to 2 weeks per year (subject to approval)

Culture & development

• $300 annual cultural stimulation allowance (accrued monthly; available after 90 days)
• Weekly Thursday happy hour
• Mentorship and Buddy programmes

ABOUT M+C SAATCHI WORLD SERVICES

M&C Saatchi World Services is a specialist division of M+C Saatchi Group, the world's largest independent communications network. Our specialists work in office hubs across six continents, grounding our global expertise in local nuance.

We offer award-winning commercial communications capabilities, which are utilized by global organizations to address the world's most complex problems across defence, development, diplomacy, homeland and national security, law and order, health, education, and the environment.

We work with clients that want to help the hardest-to-reach, hardest-to-influence audiences. This includes a range of Western Government departments, such as DOS and USAID; partner governments, including the U.K. and Australia; and prominent IGOs/NGOs such as the U.N.

We are a comms agency that works on behaviour change projects typically focused on issues related to Security, Defence and Stabilization. Whether it's producing critically acclaimed feature films in Africa, to TV shows in the Middle East, to pop music videos in Asia, we have a record of leveraging creativity to access communities anywhere in the world.

Group company M+C Saatchi World Services Role MD Americas Locations New York (WS), Washington DC Remote status Hybrid Yearly salary $140,000 - $165,000 Employment type Full-time